The Book

THE THIRTEENTH STEP: ZOMBIE RECOVERY

New York is a dead city, toxic and overrun. Eight people escape. They have one thing in common: the alcoholic gene. The same genetic quirk that makes alcoholics and addicts susceptible to booze and drugs gives them a mysterious ability to evade detection by the undead. They just need to stay quiet, fight smart, and get along with each other. But one gene in common isn’t enough to unite them. They’re a motley crew: A Botoxed Upper East Sider; a drug dealer rescued from lockup; a resentful daughter of addicts; an insecure AA guy; a Japanese ex-dope fiend; an addicted Ivy Leaguer; and a Mexican immigrant, desperate to find her children. Together, they embark on a harrowing trek, dodging natural and unnatural disasters, drugged lunatics, and the living dead. They struggle to face their personal demons, accept one another, and find a new life.

They think they’ve reached the end of their journey when they encounter a cult-like settlement that takes A.A. to fundamentalist extremes. They have to choose between the safety of the settlement and their quest for a better life. Not all of them will survive their choice. Those who do receive help from a surprising source. Yet, is it the light at the end of the tunnel or an oncoming train? The Thirteenth Step: Zombie Recovery is a rich character-driven novel, which offers the apocalyptic challenges and thrills that sci-fi and zombie fans crave. It will resonate with millions of potential readers “in recovery,” as well as all those who have pondered the age-old question of what happens when really bad things happen to imperfect people. The story was inspired by the author’s own journey beyond the gates of hell…and back.